Slippery Knot
by mouskadiddle
Summary: Voldemort has returned to full power again but the time has not come for him to face Harry yet. In the mean time, Harry must go into hiding, taking Hermione with him as his wife. Will Ron lose his best friend and the love of his life forever? Rhr...and
1. the one with the engagement

Ok I know its corny starting off with this is my first fic blah blah blah but it is. So please read and give me some feedback, but be gentle. This is short but I just had to set things up, it gets better I promise. Enjoy!

Special thanks to Sara, a wonderful Potterhead and member of S.P.P.E.W.(I doubt you want to know).

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, only two mice who like to pee on me and cause me to take excessive showers. And I do not even own them, for that would be speciesism.

this is the time a feller needs a friend  
when every happy plot  
ends with a marriage knot  
and there's no knot  
i guess he's not  
for me-

Ella Fitzgerald

"Harry!"  
The raven haired boy whirled around and spotted Hermione calling his name. She ran over to him and embraced him, causing him to fear that might never breathe again.  
"It's been so long since we've seen you! How are...things...?"

"Yea, I've almost forgotten what you look like," Ron added.

With Voldemort in full power once again, it wasn't safe for Harry to go anywhere, even just to see his best friends. This night, in the basement of the store formerly occupied by Ron's brothers was the first time they had seen him in months.

"I nearly died of shock when I got your owl. Are you sure you're allowed to be here? You know how dangerous this is, if I find out that you're here without permission from the Ministry..."

"Well it's always good to know that some things never change," Harry cut her off, "but there's actually something really important I need to talk to you about." The delighted expression that had spread across his face at the sight of his friends quickly vanished and there's took on grave appearances to match his.

"You know we are always ready to help you, no matter what right? I owe you for all the chocolate frogs you've bought me over the years anyway..." Ron said, uncomfortable and trying to lighten the mood.

Harry took a deep breath. "See here's the thing...the ministry doesn't think that they've taken enough precaution. It's not time for me to...yet and if something should happen to me before then...well you know so..." he stopped to inhale again, hoping it would allow his thoughts to come out more clearly, "well I'm going into a different kind of hiding, more of a physical hiding as well as magically protected...it should be impossible for anything to hurt me...or anyone there...until its time...and...and...the ministry said I can only take family with me. I tried explaining that the only family I have are you two and that the Dursley's aren't family but they wouldn't listen. I mean, they agreed that I wouldn't have to take the Dursley's they only offered because it seemed like the right thing to do but...well...there's nothing I can do to take you...or at least not Ron. You see, Lupin helped me find a loophole. Hermione...if we..." Harry stopped, looking her in the eyes trying to see if she comprehended any of this. She nodded slowly, showing that she understood. She closed her eyes taking a moment to process everything she just heard and tugged uncomfortably at the sleeve of the maroon Weasley sweater she was wearing that Ron had given her years ago.

"Well that would be the most logical thing to do. You can't go all alone and it would of course be safer for me..." she trailed off, looking at Ron, realizing what it would all mean for him.

"So you accept then?"

"Yes," she said, trying to sound enthusiastic and failing but embracing him once again never the less.

"Would someone please tell me what the bloody hell is going on?!" Ron bellowed.

"Shhhh! Do you want us to get caught?" Hermione hissed threateningly. She took a deep breath, a very popular activity on this day. "Ron...Harry and I are..." she looked back and fourth between the two men she loved more than anything else in the world, "Harry and I are getting married." She rushed over and put both of her hands over his mouth before he could scream and endanger them all. "Now listen to me...let me explain. You see, if Harry is going into hiding and can only take family, by marrying me I would be able to go with him. You have no idea how much I wish there was another way..." Harry looked quite offended. "Oh you know what I mean. That Ron could come as well or that we weren't in this situation at all, but that isn't the case...Ron..." He continued to avoid eye contact with either of them, having an intense staring contest with a spot on the wall next to him. "Ron, Ron look at me," she reached out and tilted his chin towards her, forcing his eyes to meet hers, "Ron it will all be okay," she tried to sound soothing and more sure of herself than she was. "This will all be over someday, someday soon, and then...well everything will work out, I just know it will."

"Oh yes and if Hermione Granger says it will work out than it must be true because she just knows bloody everything!"

"Oh come off it Ron. You don't have to make things harder than they already are!"

"Oh you're right, because things are just so great right now! I don't want to ruin this precious moment. I'm sure this'll make a lovely engagement story to pass down."

"If you think that by arguing with me you're going to make this easier, you're wrong. You're just going to regret spending the last moments you'll have with your best friends for...for who knows how long fighting like a...like an incompetent child."

"In 'who knows long'? Really, 'cause a few moments ago the war was going before we know it. Looks as though the queen know-it-all is losing her touch."

Hermione spoke as calmly as she could manage, fighting back tears. "Fine, well if this is really how you want to end things...there's a wedding that has to take place rather soon and..." she slipped her hand into Harry's and began steering him towards the door, turning back only once with one hand on the doorknob. Ron opened his mouth and then closed it abruptly several times. He knew deep down that Hermione was right, she always was. He knew this was no way to say goodbye, but his anger prevented him from saying anything worthwhile, anything that he really wanted her to know. He heard the door close and slinked down the wall, hitting the cold cement floor a bit harder than intended. He half wished Voldemort would come and strike him down right there. He slumped down further, not having the strength or the willpower to move just yet, to tear himself away from the place that he saw her last.

No one knows what it's like  
To feel these feelings  
Like I do  
And I blame you...

No one knows what it's like  
To be the bad man  
To be the sad man  
Behind blue eyes-

Behind blue eyes, The Who

My goal is to post a chapter a week, I think it'll be around 10 chapters in all. Review!


	2. the one with the wafers and weddings

Disclaimer: Hickory Dickory Doc, the mouse ran up the clock and I don't own Harry Potter

oh & yes, the chapter titles are all going to begin with "the one..." like the show Friends, which I also, don't own.

Yeah, let's do it for our country, the red, white, and the blue,  
It's not a lot to ask of us, our parents will approve.  
Tomorrow I'll be fighting, and I'll win this war for you.  
Let's do it for our country, we owe it to our country.  
Let's do it for our country, our country wants us to.

- Grease 2  
(funny song, you should all listen to. The red white & blue part doesn't really fit, but hey, Britain's flag is those colors too.)

Harry and Hermione walked in silence for some time, the most awkward moments in their entire friendship. Hermione could not bear the tension any longer and said, "So, how exactly is this whole thing going to work? Hmm, that's not exactly how I figured I'd be planning my wedding but what must be done must be done. Harry? Are you listening?" There was no answer. "Harry?" she stopped walking and stepped in front of him, trying to catch his emerald eyes. He snapped his head to the left with more hostility than originally intended. "What is it with you two? Must you make everything more difficult than it already is? Two peas in a rotting pod..."  
"I'm sick and tired of hiding."

Hermione had prepared an entire speech in an instant and was startled by the interruption. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said I'm tired of hiding. I'm ready, if he isn't than to hell with him. The sooner this happens, the sooner it can all end and..."  
"The sooner what can all end?" she began trying to keep her voice calm. She had extra fire built up from her fight with Ron, but she knew that was not the way to deal with Harry. "You may be a celebrity and you may be our only answer, but that doesn't change the fact that there are people older and wiser than you that know what they are doing and no that if you face Voldemort now, he is going to win. You need to wait for the opportune moment."

"They can't know that they can't..."

"What they can or can't do doesn't matter. The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your not ready to face him yet or you can't, but either way, you have an entire Ministry, who is here to prevent you from acting upon this ridiculous conception. And me, for example, I can let you face him, but I can't go through life without one of my best friends. So, can you marry me, go into hiding and save the wizarding world some day, or can you not? It doesn't really what you say, because as usual you are going to listen to me no matter what." She linked arms with him in what she hoped was a comforting manner, "Now will you please tell me what's going to happen?"

"Someone from the Ministry is going to perform the ceremony when we get there."  
"Right. And there would be..."  
"I have no idea, I was supposed to raise my wand like this, trace a lightening bolt and say...now what was it..."  
Hermione opened her mouth ready to scold him but he noticed and quickly prevented her from doing so.

"Relax, I wasn't serious," he cleared his throat, wanting to be sure he got it right the first time, "Trasportare Segreto"

Imediately, two owls swooped down and then transformed into humans before their eyes.

"This is Shane and Leaslethey were with me for a time a few months ago, were undergoing training to become aurors but quit to protect me instead," Harry explained.

"What Potter neglected to tell you was that we didn't really have a choice," Leasle said teasingly. "The Ministry found out we were unregistered animagi and they had been looking for owls..."

"He grows on you though, doesn't he?" Shane said to Leasle while giving Harry a playful shove. Turning to Hermione and Harry he continued, "Now if you lovebirds don't mind eat these and we can be on our merry way."

He handed them two wafers of a peculiar greenish color and smelling a bit like cheese.

Harry studied them; looking as though he might be sick.

"Oh just eat it Harry. It's a shrinking wafer, it'll allow us to fly on their backs and we'll resume our rightful size in about, oh I'd say three hours based on the size of these. Less risky than using a broom," Hermione informed him.

"Cheers," he said, holding up the wafer in a mock toast to his future bride. Holding their noses, they managed to swallow the putrid little things and began shrinking instantly. Shane Leasle resumed their owl forms and hoisted their miniature passengers onto their backs, successfully beginning the journey.

Harry opened his eyes and saw one...two...about five Hermiones kneeling at his side. "What happened?" he asked, noticing that there were a crowd of Shanes and Leasles surrounding him as well.

"Hehe...there was a bit of an accident when we landed here, you slipped off and hit your little head rather hard," Shane said nervously, wondering how Harry would react.

"Trying to kill me off so you can go back to being an auror?" Harry said jokingly.

"If you breathe a word of this to the Ministry..."

"You know I wouldn't. So er...where is here?"

"We have specific instructions not to tell anyone that, including you," Leasle said.

"What in Merlin's name is the logic behind that one? Am I hiding from myself?"

"It's not that none of us trust you it's just that..." Leasle was cut off by Shane.

"No that's pretty much it, none of us trust you. If you knew where you were, the desire to go gallivanting around would overwhelm you and we can't have that."  
"That word's always confused me a bit," Leasle said. "I mean, I know you can be under whelmed, and you can be overwhelmed, but can you ever just be, like, whelmed?"

Hermione, who had been lost in her own thoughts sitting beside Harry ignored Leasle's comment and instead responded to Shane's warning about Harry and his adventures.

"So we are in a populated area then?"

Harry was puzzled by this. "I figured they'd stick us in the middle of a desert or something."

"Well, that's what we thought at first too," Leasle explained, "but you can hide a needle in a haystack..."  
"...or in a pile of needles," Hermione finished with her. Shane wanted to make sure that Harry didn't get any of his famous ideas, for his head would be the first to roll. "But there are also many complicated charms and curses protecting you, once you are in, you are in for good."

"Not that I'm eager to go in, but what are we waiting for?"

"Well call me old fashioned but I always thought the groom should wait until _after_ he said 'I do' to pass out," Leasle told him. "Are you both ready?"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other and smiled as reassuringly as they could under the circumstances.

"Well I think its more romantic to do this out here than in that horrible little...I mean, charming home which we will all learn to cherish...anyway, here we go..."  
"Wait, _you're _doing it?" Hermione and Harry asked at the same time.

"How sweet, sound like you've been together ages already," Shane commented.

"Echem," Leasle began. "Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam..."

Hermione and Harry looked at each other expressing an emotion somewhere between confusion and revulsion."

"And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva. So tweasure your wuv"

"Leasle, I know you've been looking forward to this and it is a very touching moment, but can we get on with it..." Shane said, looking impatient.

"Fine then," she said, leafing through a copy of _Wizard Marriages for Dummies_. "Apparently, as long as I say man and wife and you put these (she held out her other hand revealing two rings) on each others fingers, you're married."

"Are you sure you're authorized for this?" Hermione asked, trying to hold it together as she endured what was quite possibly the worst wedding ever.

"We're a bit short handed right now but as of yesterday, yes, I am authorized, so on with it," she said, shaking the rings in their faces. They did as they were told and trembled for they knew what was coming next.  
"You may kiss the bride," Leasle said, smirking.

They leaned in telling themselves _just a kiss...just a small kiss...nothing to worry about, just enough so that they don't get suspicious and realize that we have no feelings for each other at all...okay this isn't so bad... its actually quite nice...wait...back up...did I just think that?!_ They abruptly pulled away from each other, hoping that if they concentrated enough, they could repress that memory and forget the muddled thoughts and feelings that flooded their minds and hearts.

New and a bit alarming  
Who'd have ever thought that this could be?  
True that he's no Prince Charming  
But there's something in him that I simply didn't see

It's so peculiar. Wait and see  
We'll wait and see  
A few days more  
There may be something there that wasn't there before  
You know, perhaps there's something there that wasn't  
there before  
There may be something there that wasn't there before

-Beauty and the Beast

And if anyone really hates h/hr fics, I'm sorry, but there's a little more coming. I was going to try & be all mysterious, but please, it's sorted under Ron, Hermione, there is no mystery, just be patient, Ron will come back eventually.

I also apologize for all the random movie quotes (ex: POTC, The Princess Bride, 10 Things I hate about you) but I couldn't resist. If they really make it horrible, I'll take them out, tell me what you think. If you don't know what quotes I'm talking about, go watch those movies now. Right now! Well actually, not until you review. Even if you'd rather poke your eyes out with a Q-tip than read the next chapter, please review. I wanna see that little number going up up and awaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.


	3. the one with the feelings

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I own nothing but David Beckham's right foot...wait,...no I don't...but see love actually anyway

I'll build a Stairway to Paradise  
With a new Step ev'ry day.  
I'll build a Stairway to Paradise,  
With a new Step ev'ry day.  
I'm going to get there at any price;  
  
Stand aside, I'm on my way!

- From the "An American in Paris" soundtrack

(Has anyone ever actually heard this song? I was searching for lyrics and it fit but I've never heard it)

**ilive4cake00: **You have NO idea how much it means to me that my first review came from you. As my friend put it so wonderfully I shall quote her, "it's like we are her groupies or something" ::sings:: You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...

**Tru Lys: **Thank you! And thanks for finding the mistakes but I get so nervous every time I upload things that I think I'm just going to leave it. Also, thank-you for the beta-ing offer but I already have to great betas. Well, temporarily I only have one because she promised Gd that if she got a callback for a play she wouldn't read fics for a month but she also threatened never to talk to me again if I replace her...I don't think she can stay away anyway

**Ronscutie: **Hehe nice Britishness

**Nattieb: **Thanks & I hope you like the rest too!

**Tangerine Dream: **Awww I feel so special. How weird would it be to have an actual recurring dream about fruit though?

Special announcement for **LeNoodleGirl**, my very offended friend (why does that sound so weird...offended friend....anyway...) who introduced me to the world of Harry Potter and is a wonderful beta and who I love even though she wants me to cast poor Ron aside

"Please...tell...me....we...are...almost...there..." Harry said, wheezing as they were led up yet another flight of stairs.

"Some people have no patience," Leasle tutted.

Shane was siding with Harry though, "Easy for you to say, not all of us live on stairmasters."

"Hey, you gotta give Muggles credit for some things; the stairmaster is definitely one of their better inventions. Hermione, are you okay?"

She had been silent the entire excruciating walk, not even looking at any of them, especially Harry. She tried to take a fast glance in his direction without anyone noticing, but failed. Leasle motioned for her to walk ahead and then put her arm around Hermione's shoulders. "If there's anything you want to talk about, I'm more than a bodyguard, 'kay?" Hermione wanted someone to talk to more than anything else, well no, what she wanted more than anything else was for things to go back to the way they were, but having someone to help her sort out her feelings would be the next best thing. _Too bad she thinks we've been engaged and madly in love for ages_ Hermione thought to herself. Instead of saying what she truly felt she settled for, "Oh no, I'm fine it's just a lot to process in one day. Finally marrying Harry, (_Why did my stomach just flutter?! That isn't supposed to happen; he's my best friend, that's it_) coming here, you know..." Leasle sensed there was more to it than Hermione was admitting, but she only nodded her head and slowed her pace, waiting for the guys to catch up.

Fifteen minutes and several pulled muscles later, they arrived in front of a door painted a peculiar shade of peach, the kind that schools and apartment buildings built in the fifties tended to use.

"_This_ is where the Ministry is hiding us?" Harry asked, half expecting it to be one of Shane and Leasle's jokes, "In a flat?"

"Looks can be deceiving," Shane said, opening the door to reveal...a regular old flat.

Harry gave him a look of doubt.

"Very deceiving."

The flat was small, a studio divided in half by a wooden screen and deep red curtains serving as doors. They were all standing in the kitchen, if you could call it that. There was a minifridge, a hotplate and about 3 cubic feet of space.

"The larger the space, the more difficult it is to sustain ourselves up here so we had to cut back. We'll try to go out and get some food at night, but we'd have to go in owl form so don't be expecting much," Leasle informed the newlyweds.

"Up wh...oooh," Hermione said, understanding.

Harry however, was too busy standing in front of the open minifridge, trying to cool down from the climb to care what she had figured out this time. He felt as though he was approaching 98.6° again when Hermione practically slammed the door of it shut in his face.

"It takes magic to keep that fridge cold and the less magic we use up here, the safer it is."

"What kind of logic is that? It's the magic that protects us." Realizing how unlikely it was that Hermione was wrong, he added, "Isn't it?"

"Well if I'm not mistaken, we are in..." she glanced over to Shawn and Leasle to see if they would mind terribly if she revealed to Harry where they were, "Can't I just tell him? Even Harry wouldn't be foolish enough to leave at a time like this. Besides, he'd have some job trying to get up and down those stairs," she continued without really waiting for a reply from either of the two, "I believe that we must be in some American city. The reason this looks so much like a regular flat is because it is. The American equivalent of the Ministry of Magic decided about 80 years ago that the best way to hide wizard settlements from muggles would be to build a parallel realm physically above certain muggle cities. The structures over the Line of Caulfield as it was called after the President of the Wizards Council, a very sexist name if you ask me, would be very similar to the ones in the normal realm below, but simplified versions, for it required powerful magic to sustain them. Only certain specific points would allow entry to the realm, this apparently being one of them. A muggle could be flying through this space right now, but we wouldn't know it because they didn't enter the realm from one of the points. Of course, the limited construction that could occur didn't suit the needs of the Council and it was soon put out of use and forgotten. Most Americans don't even know it existed."

Harry gaped at the walking encyclopedia in front of him.

"What? I read so many books on English wizardry I thought American Wizard by Jenny Clavitz would be interesting."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Well it's been a full day, I'm turning in," Leasle said, opening the curtain to the right-hand section of the divided room to reveal a nightstand and two twin size beds. Shane followed, stifling a yawn.

"We should probably head in too," Hermione said to Harry. They both tried to play it cool. _It will be just like when we stayed at Ron'_ s _all those times _they kept telling themselves. _Just like it except...no...no excepts..._

Hermione pulled back the curtain, hoping that Harry didn't notice her hand shake. The last thing she needed right now was to be sleeping in the same room as him...  
"Harry...Harry...there's only one bed..." she said shakily.

For once, Harry had known something that Hermione didn't. "Well what did you expect? Married people tend to sleep in the same bed. Except for when Dudley watched sitcoms from the 50s. That always puzzled me..."

"Yea, of course, sure," Hermione mumbled. She set her backpack on the bed. "Can you step out for a minute? I need to change."

"Some honeymoon," Harry said jokingly as he left.

"Okay," Hermione called to him when she had finished. He reappeared in the small room wearing only bright orange Chudley Cannon boxers that Ginny had convinced Ron to buy him as a joke for Christmas last year. He still remembered laughing hysterically as Ginny blushed and Ron made his sexual preferences explicitly clear. It was just under a year ago but it seemed like ages.

Hermione couldn't stop her eyes from roaming down. In all fairness, they were a _very _bright orange...

"You're going to be freezing in those," she managed.

"I know, but I've never been all that good with the packing thing, you'd think boarding school woulda helped that. I forgot to bring anything else to sleep in." He casually plopped down on the bed, as if he slept with his best friend who happened to be female and now his wife wearing orange boxers every day.

Hermione signed and crawled in as well; very glad she was wearing sweatpants but wishing she hadn't chosen just a white cami to wear on top.

"I know there is only so much they can do up here, but I think a fireplace was a horrible thing to leave out. It's freezing."

"I know," Harry said, and moved closer to her as he did so.

_Just keep talking..._

"My hands are like ice..."  
"Here, lemme help," he slid his surprisingly warmer hands over her shoulders with every intention of warming her hands...

"Harry...those aren't my hands..."

"Mmmhmm"

I hope you understand  
That green eyes  
Yeah the spotlight shines upon you  
And how could anybody deny you  
I came here with a load  
And it feels so much lighter

...  
And honey you should know  
That I could never go on without you  
Green eyes

- Coldplay

Whew that was a bit difficult for me, all the Harry/Hermione-ness (I love randomly adding –ness to stuff. It's terrible). Which, reminds me, I realized that under the summary it said "H/hr". What it was _supposed_ to say was "R/hr...and then...H/hr...and then...R/hr...and then...you'll have to read and see", but it got cut off. Apologies for any confusion. I'm not exactly sure when I'll be able to post next because I'm not going to be home this coming weekend or the one after camping(yes, I am going out into the wilderness. Then again, I consider anything without a subway wilderness...but this is like cook meals on a fire wilderness) and then a busy weekend with a friend's birthday party & a dance, plus my own birthday! Yipeeeeeee! and during the week I have about 13424353654675677889879 tests because you know how teachers love to gang up on you and give you everything at once. I already wrote most of four though and it's pretty short, so I want to be able to get five up soon after I post four. I'm really excited about five though so I don't know, we shall see. This is a really long note full of information that nobody really cares about, so therefore I am done.

REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!


	4. the one where harry goes away

Disclaimer: I want you, I need you, oh baby oh baby, but I don't own Harry Potter

**Tru Lys: **haha me make it totally disgusting. If you knew me you would realize how hilarious that is. I am incapable of making it disgusting. My rabbits have a better love life than me (well maybe not anymore now that Norton is neutered but you get the idea.) Anyway I promise, no disgustingness.

**turtledove: **a lot happened at the end but I sort of cut it off to avoid disgustingness(see above). They are in there for almost a year with nothing to do except stare at the walls and...well think about it.

**thymephleyes: **is your name in reference to rent? I love rent, as you will see in the next chapter. And I totally had the disclaimer written before your review, but great minds think alike

**AmphredLala: **don't worry it does!

**Gwendolyn James**: really really soon I promise! Can you make it through one more? (you might want to skip to the next one if you can't)

**Hermyandron4evr: **I just had an entire discussion w/my friend Aaron over why Harry and Hermione can't end up together (in the real books). Ron will return soon

If I didn't respond to you, still thank you for reviewing, thank you to everyone who's been reviewing, including my genius friends who left such subtle reviews ::cough:: u noe me-nj ::cough:: I don't know how I figured out it was you guys ::cough:: "GEH- as if you couldn't guess" ::cough::

Save yourself, serve yourself. World serves its  
own needs, listen to your heart bleed. Tell me with the rapture and the  
reverent in the right - right. You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright  
light, feeling pretty psyched.  
  
It's the end of the world as we know it.  
It's the end of the world as we know it.

-REM

"Hermione!" Harry screamed at her. She looked so peaceful lying in bed, holding onto her pillow. He hated to be the one to change all of that but Leasle and Shawn had flown off to the Ministry to make actual preparations in the frenzy that erupted that morning. "Hermione you need to get the bloody hell up right now!" His words sounded strange to him, he hardly ever spoke like that, especially not to her. For a year he had been waking her up; kissing the back of her neck or tickling the bottom of her feet, but there wasn't time for that now. Finally, she stirred.

"What?"

"We need to leave, now."

"You know we can't leave, not until..." he nodded urgently; she had to understand as soon as possible, time was running out.

She shot out of bed, her hand clutched around a section of bushy hair. "I...we...it...can't..."  
This was so different from the Hermione that Harry knew. She was the one that was always in control, always knew what to say and how to say it, and now she couldn't even manage a sentence. He would have to take care of her. Even with everything that was happening at that moment, he liked that idea. "Listen to me," he put his hands on her shoulders, "we need to go, it's going to be okay but time is not on our side." He took her hand and they charged down the stairs, Hermione still in a state of shock. It seemed as though there were so many less stairs now than when they had arrived, most likely because he knew what awaited him at the bottom. True he was often restless but he was with Hermione and he was safe. Now the pressure was back on him, at the bottom of the stairs he became alone and in danger. As his foot found its way to the sidewalk outside of the building, he felt as though he had died already. He took a trembling Hermione into his arms.

"When will I...I mean where...how will we..."

"Don't worry, when it's over, I'll find you." _If he doesn't kill me first _Harry added silently. He spotted the Ministry men across the street. "Good-" he couldn't say it, he just turned away and jogged across the street.

Hermione slinked down against the brick wall. Why did this seem so familiar to her? Someone else...against a wall...and she was walking away. She could not recall anymore but this memory awakened something inside her. She lifted herself up and began walking, where she didn't know. The streets must have been full of chaos but she did not notice. She realized that suddenly, she knew so little. A cold, unpleasant sensation on her shoulder awakened her from her blank trance. It was white and gooey with...oh great. Not only was the world falling apart, but the world was falling apart as she was covered in owl shit (a/n: which is actually mostly uric acid and might not qualify as shit but I don't really care). She looked around for the culprit but instead, found a man with a smirk on his face, though his eyes looked hollow and deadened.

"Shane," she said; it had sounded enthusiastic when she thought it, but she knew it came out rather flat. "Sorry, I am happy to see you though." Happy. She found herself thinking that it would be a long time before any wizard truly believed in that word.

"Well in all the..." he couldn't find the right word; panic would be true but harsh, excitement was far from the truth. "...we forgot that we would need to be getting you back to Britain."

"It's..." Okay. The word she wanted was "okay," and she was frustrated, not having said a complete sentence all day. She couldn't say it though. _Because this is the furthest from okay I've ever been_ she thought.

Hermione found herself in front of the Ministry building. She wrinkled her face and massaged her temples; feeling disoriented and knowing it had nothing to do with the flying. Shane apparated inside the building before Hermione could turn around and thank him. _I probably wouldn't have been able to anyway_ she thought, noting her less than perfect speaking record for the day. She walked aimlessly for miles still oblivious to the pandemonium around her. At some point she stumbled upon the underground and instinctively got on the train that would bring her home, if such a home was still in existence. Living in a bubble had its advantages. Now the thoughts that were restrained all year came rushing in as though someone opened the floodgates. Her parents, her home, her friends, what was left? She reached her house still lost in her thoughts and went through a white door that hadn't been locked in ages. The house seemed in perfect order aside from the fact that it was completely empty. Hermione collapsed onto the light blue couch and watched it darken as her tears splashed against the smooth surface. Her tears only met an end when she fell into a salty slumber.

Hermione had a strong urge to curse the inventor of the doorbell as it woke her. Regaining consciousness brought back problems that she wasn't yet ready to face. Ignoring it was not an option however, as she was sure it had rang at least twenty times and there was nothing to indicate that it would stop any time soon. Hermione approached the door cautiously maintaining a firm grip on her wand- just in case. She threw the door open and then squeezed her eyes shut, sure that she was seeing things. When she opened them however, he was still there. "Holy f-"the words escaped her mouth before she could censor herself like she usually did.

When everything feels all over  
Everybody seems unkind  
I'll give you a four-leaf clover  
Take all worry out of your mind  
  
Let my love open your door (X3)  
To your heart  
Let my love open the door  
To your heart  
Let my love open the door  
  
I Have the only key to your heart  
I can stop you from fallin' apart  
Tried to say in my own way  
Come on give me the chance to say  
  
Let my love x2  
Let my love open the door x4  
  
When tragedy befalls you  
Don't let it tie you down  
Love can cure your problems  
You're so lucky I'm around

Pearl Jam

The entire purpose of this chapter was to get rid of Harry, which happened, so now chapter 5 can be a lot of fun, which will be posted soon since MY AP EURO TEST IS OVER! Had to get that out of my system.


	5. the one with the snow

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; except for on days when I forget my medication

_This chapter is so long; I'm so proud. I'm going to try and make them all long now (probably not as long as this though) because one of my betas has guilted me into it and because I'm up to the fun part. _

_We are also going to play a little game. There are about 525,600 Rent references in the next two chapters (and probably in others too). FIND THEM AND GET LEPRACHAUN GOLD! (extra credit for any other movie references) _

I drove for miles and miles  
And wound up at your door  
I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
She will be loved  
  
Tap on my window knock on my door  
I want to make you feel beautiful  
I know I tend to get insecure  
It doesn't matter anymore  
  
It's not always rainbows and butterflies  
It's compromise that moves us along  
My heart is full and my door's always open  
You can come anytime you want

- Maroon 5

-----

"Oh, well isn't that an endearing way to great one of your best friends," he said, allowing himself in.

"I'm sorry I was just so....oh," she threw her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes as he was as tall and gangly as when she left him. There was something comforting about it; it was just so Ron and she would be disappointed if he was any other way. "How did you know I was here?"

He reddened and shrugged sheepishly. "I didn't, I've been coming by here a lot since you left." By a lot, he meant that every day he had come by, ringing the doorbell until his finger grew sore, hoping that someone might answer but never really expecting them to. He would never dream of telling her though. It sounded desperate and pathetic even to him; he could only imagine what she would think.

"Sit down," she said, rubbing her eyes to try and mask any evidence that she had been crying.

He flopped down on the couch and made himself comfortable as though he was back in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione realized that it had gotten quite dark while she was sleeping and stretched over Ron, reaching for the lamp that stood beside him. He was curious to see electricity in action, but soon forgot this as Hermione brushed against him, sliding back into her seat. He had missed the feel of her bushy hair and silky skin more than anything in the world. The year he spent without her forced him accept his feelings for her and maybe she would too someday. _Hopefully someday soon, before my hair turns gray, _he thought.

"What have you been up to in the last year?" Hermione asked. It was a feeble attempt to make up for lost time but they had to start somewhere.

A distant expression washed over his face. "I'd rather not think about that. What about you? And Harry?"

"Well we..." she was going to tell him about all that had happened between her and Harry but something that she couldn't quite place held her back, "...managed. It wasn't the best of times but we were safe at least." The living room suddenly felt empty and cold. "Let's go into the kitchen, I'll put up some water for tea."

He followed her into her kitchen which was always the warmest room in the house. She looked around but all she could find was some Diet Coke.

"What _is_ this?" Ron asked, skeptical about drinking something that reminded him of liquid dirt.

"It's soda, full of artificial sweeteners and terrible for you. Even though there's no actual sugar in it I still had to hide it from my parents, them being dentists and all..." she trailed off, not wanting to think about where her parents were right now.

"It looks more like something Neville made in potions..."

"Well, it's all we have. I'll have to run to the grocery store tomorrow morning; we need food for breakfast. A box of Captain Crunch would taste _so_ good." She noticed he was still eyeing the soda skeptically. "Oh just drink it."

"No, it's going to make me puke or something"

"You won't throw up."

He stared at her full of doubt.

"You won't throw up. Wimp."  
  
"Am not."

"Are to. You're afraid of a soft-drink."

"What are you, five?"

"Oh please, you _know_ you are the more juvenile of the two of us."

"Do you feel special using big words?"

They were both enjoying their senseless bickering as it reminded them of old times but were interrupted as the lights flickered and died out.

"What just happened?" Ron asked, a hint of fear in his voice. He was going to have some trouble adjusting to the Muggle world.

"The downside of electricity. Sometimes the power blows, especially in storms like these. I didn't even notice it was raining."

_I wouldn't have noticed the lights going off or even if a tornado went through the kitchen if it didn't prevent me from staring at you_ he thought, but decided he would be better off with a simple shrug.

"It's okay, follow me," Hermione said as she led him into the living room. He followed close behind her, probably closer than necessary, with his arms outstretched and a look of utter confusion on his face. He very much resembled a child playing pin the tail on the donkey. Ron had a feeling that the dark and his oversized feet were going to get him in trouble. His fears were realized when Hermione stopped in front of a tall glass cabinet and Ron bumped right into her.

"Ow Ron that was my-"

"I know, I'm sorry," he said, seriously hoping that it wasn't possible to _sense_ someone turning red in the dark.

If she could, she didn't mention it. Instead, she just threw open the cabinet and pulled out a box.

"We light candles."

"If Muggles had any sense, we would have done that to begin with."  
  
"Well these candles don't work quite the same. You need a match to light them."

"From what I remember, matches are pretty small aren't they?"

"Well yes, why?"  
  
"Because how do you suppose we find one in the dark?"

"There's a pack in here," she said. Finally, she managed to light one after what seemed like a million had gone out or refused to light.

"Hold this while I look for a candleholder," Hermione instructed Ron.

"Ow! The wax, it's dripping," he said as he waved the candle about wildly.

"Oh that was brilliant. Now the candle's out. That was my last match. I have an idea; can you make it up the stairs?"

She led him to a room with deep purple curtains covering an entire wall and drew them back, revealing that the storm was nearing an end and the moon was once again the center of the sky.

"Thank Gd for the moon," she said, sitting down on the plush carpet and leaning back against her parents' bed. "What are you staring at?

"Nothing," was all that Hermione heard, oblivious to the fact that he had added, "your hair in the moonlight," mumbling under his breath.

"Ron, you're staring again," she said self-consciously. "It's my irresistible physique isn't it?" she said, completely joking. Ron didn't notice that though, he was too busy being mortified.

"Oh no! I mean...you do...have a nice..."

"Ron I was joking, relax."

"Oh, of course." With this, he breathed a sigh of relief and sat down beside her. Hermione's head lolled onto his shoulder as the patter of the rain on the balcony outside lulled her into a much needed sleep. Ron carefully lifted her into the bed and then lay down beside her, unable to prevent a grin from spreading across his face.

- - - - - -

Ron awoke feeling happier than he ever remembered being in his life. _I just slept with Hermione! Okay I didn't really sleep with her...I mean I _slept _with her but I didn't wink-wink-nudge-nudge sleep with her. _(a/n: Teaser. I'm so mean!)_ This still has to count for something though right?_

He rolled over expecting to see her there, but found nothing but a wrinkled blanket. The room lacked an early morning glow and he figured he must have slept right through it. He walked downstairs taking in details that he hadn't seen the night before in the dark. Many things he didn't recognize, he would have to ask her about them sometime but now, all he wanted to do was find her.

Hermione saw Ron's flaming hair approaching from a mile away and concentrated harder on the bowl of chocolate pancake mix she was stirring to hide the fact that she was blushing. He ran his hand through his hair, which was sticking up at the strangest angles. _That is the most adorable sight I have seen in my life. Wait, no its not, what am I talking about!_ She glanced down at the two rings on her hands. _I am happily married. _She resumed her stirring with extreme vigor

"You're going to break that thing," Ron said as she ground the spoon against the sides of the bowl hard enough to pulverize it.

Hermione glared at him before returning her attention to what would have been breakfast if Ron hadn't slept all day. Ron sat at the table and propped his head on his right hand, studying Hermione. He noticed that she had changed into a light pink bathrobe and her hair was wet, not in its usual voluminous shape. _I wonder if she's wearing anything und-_"Stop that!" he scolded himself, not realizing he was speaking out loud.

"Stop what?" Hermione said, walking over to him, bowl of batter and spoon in hand. She set the bowl down and began licking of the spoon while waiting for a reply and waging a civil war in her head. _Stop teasing him! What has gotten into you Hermione? You don't do things like this, it's not like you and it's wrong. Well, sort of. It's only really teasing him if he is enjoying it, which he obviously couldn't be, so it's okay right?_._ I mean, has anyone noticed you were flirting with them in your life?_ Satisfied with this justification, she sat down beside him and crossed her legs, not revealing much but it was much more than was customary for her.

Meanwhile, Ron was having issues of his own. _This is not the Hermione I know. This must be a dream. That's it, it's a dream, you'll kiss her, you'll wake up and life will go back to its normal, depressing self._

Thoroughly convinced that this couldn't possibly be real, he pulled the spoon away and leaned in.

Hermione was scared by how much she wanted this and needed to do something to stop herself from giving in, something fast. She grabbed for the only thing near her, the bowl, and created a chocolate coated Ron.

Ron licked the bit of chocolate batter that had landed on his lips. _Okay, not a dream. But wait...if it's not a dream...this is entirely her fault!_

"What the bloody hell was that?" he said, standing up.

"I'm sorry but...well no I'm not. You shouldn't have done that!"

"What did you expect me to do the way you were acting? What were you thinking 'Oh old oblivious Ron won't notice if I parade myself in front of him. Let's just tease the hell out of him.'"

She knew that 'yes' would have been a suitable answer but decided against it.

"I'm married to you're best friend!"

At this, Ron began laughing hysterically. Not exactly the reaction she had intended to provoke.

"Hermione, that's what the problem is? That's not a real marriage, it doesn't _really_ count."

This only angered her further. How dare he insult her marriage like that! Okay, so it was true, but there was so much that he didn't understand.

"There's a lot that you don't know!"

"You're right there is a lot that I don't know because I've been fearing for my life for the past year while you two were together and safe and...together!"

"You said that already!"

"Are you even hearing what I'm saying?!"  
  
"Well I obviously am if I noticed..."  
  
"That's not what I mean and you know it! Don't yell at me for things I don't know because I would have given anything to be in there with you two!"

Hermione took a deep breath. Ron was right, it wasn't his fault; she needed to tell him.

"You're right."

Ron almost fell over in shock. "What?"

"I'm not going to say it again. You heard me. See here's the thing...I should tell you..."  
_Hermione you can do this. You have to do this._ "I should tell you...no. Another time...another place..." Tears began to gather in her eyes. "...another day."

She ran out of the room and into her bedroom where she threw the covers over her head and let it all out like she did when she was a little girl.

Ron sat at the table, staring at the wall and trying to figure out how to fix whatever he just did. _It's no use. You're just not any good at this stuff. _Eventually, he went into the bathroom to wash the batter off of his pants and avoid confronting Hermione. He stood there so long he almost rubbed a hole in his pants. _As much as I hate this, I need to face her eventually. You can do this Ron. Go...go...just go._

He knocked on the bedroom door and took the silence from the other side to mean "Come in."

Even though she was splotchy and her eyes were redder than his hair, Hermione still looked beautiful to him. He had always been jealous of Harry and this was just one more thing Harry had and he didn't.

Ron tried to speak but crying girls weren't his forte. In fact, no kind of girl was.

"I know. This is weird," Hermione saved him the trouble of saying.

"It's weird."

"Very weird."

"Fu- "

"Language."

"-weird. So...you're...you're crying."

_That's what he's talking about? That's what's weird? Of course Ron is denser than gold._ (a/n: this is what happens when you go to my school. You start using you're chemistry lessons in daily life and you make Punnet squares of you and Daniel Radcliffe's children. Okay so the second part is just what my lovely beta does) _Why would he have caught on that what I needed to tell him was about Harry and me?_

"Yes...I am. Observant aren't you?"

"So um...yea don't do that."

Hermione couldn't help laughing. He was so incredibly bad at this. She glanced down, not wanting him to see the last tears that were falling from her eyes, when she noticed something.

"Um, Ron, are you aware that you are only wearing a towel around your waist?"

He had actually forgotten that he needed to ask her for a pair of pants he was so freaked out about her crying but decided to pretend he was totally in control.

"Oh, yea, I needed to wash the batter off me. Is there a pair around here I can borrow?"

She pointed at his shirt. "Well, you missed a sleeve."

He turned to look in the mirror next to him and caught the reflection of a clocky-calander-thingy that he didn't recognize. Mr. Weasley would be proud that he did notice the plug. "Hermione, it's Christmas Eve!" he said pointing to the contraption with both hands.

"Ron, you're..."

"I know," he said, casually putting one hand back on the slowly slipping towel and trying to play it cool. (a/n: you totally thought it was going to fall didn't you? Fooled ya!)

"It can't be Christmas though, it just doesn't feel right. How do you know that it is?"

"Well there is the fact that I can read for one thing. December 24, 9 p.m."

"I wouldn't be so sure, that's a six. But it is Christmas Eve. Oh well, it's not like I have anyone to buy presents for anyway."

"It's not my fault, it was backwards, it looked the same. Can we do something about this?" he said, carefully pointing to the towel.

"That was a terrible justification. I can help you with the pants though, I have a pair of men's sweatpants you can wear," she said, getting up and walking over to her drawers. Seeing the expression on his face she added, "Oh relax no one left them here or anything, I took them from my dad."

"Oh I knew that," he said, sliding them on. He was going to ask if her dad had any other clothes he could borrow, but the look on her face told him not to. She had no idea if her parents were alive or dead and he didn't think being in the house without them was helping matters. _Quick, she can't cry again think of something._

"What did the boy werewolf say to the girl werewolf?"  
  
"I don't know," Hermione said, suddenly not in the mood for jokes.

"We're gonna go ooooooooooooooooout tonight."

She chuckled. "Ronald Weasley, that was by far the worst joke I have ever heard of."

"But you have heard of it."

"Well I wouldn't want you to think you were the _only_ wizard on Earth to think of that pathetic excuse of a joke."

"We are though."

"We're a joke?"

"No, we're going out tonight. We can't stay holed up in here forever."

"Well, the Daily Prophet said this morning that they've got Diagon Alley back under control, at least for now."  
  
"Then it's settled. Get ready," he said, turning to leave the room and feeling quite satisfied with himself.

"Oh a wild night is now preordained," she said rolling her eyes.

"Leave it to you to use big words when you're being sarcastic. Just get ready."

"How long does it take you to get ready?" he bellowed an hour later, standing outside her bedroom door."

-----

"525,600 minutes, Ron. I don't know! I'll be ready when I'm ready. You never know who we might see." _I am in no way dressing up for Ron. I haven't been out in the real wizarding world for a long time and it is important to make a good impression._

"Come on! Christmas bells are ringing!"

"Not here."

"Just come out already. You are such a girl."

"We went over this fourth year."

They were both thankful that the door was separating them because they turned bright red remembering that time.

"You still remember that?"

"Of course," Hermione said, as she opened the door.  
  
"You look..." he couldn't find words to cover how spectacular she looked. She had showered again, what was it with girls and their obsession with being clean anyway? Still, her hair had gentle waves and she smelled amazing. She was wearing lip gloss and navy blue eyeliner to match the tight v-neck sweater she was wearing- along with a pair of jeans that hugged her perfectly. Even though she looked amazing, he couldn't figure out what had taken so long until he saw the pile of clothes on her bed.

"You sure you're ready now?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Hermione replied, ignoring the butterflies that had found their way into her stomach.

----

As they walked down Diagon Alley, Ron was focusing all of his energy on preventing himself from reaching down and holding her hands when she did just that.

"Cold hands," was all he could manage.

"Yours too," she answered, looking up into his eyes. Suddenly realizing what she was doing, she began to pull him by his hand behind her.

"Where are we going?"

"I just remembered that I never got a chance to see the theater they opened last year."

"I'm not a theater person," he said, although he allowed her to keep pulling him along. Letting go of her hand seemed as though it could end the world.

When they made there way in front of the theater however, Ron refused to go inside.

"Excuse me," said a young man that looked a couple of years older than them, "but I would be glad to accompany you if-"

"Actually, we were just leaving," Ron cut in and pulled her away.

When he finally let go of her she turned around and snapped at him, "What was that?!"

"What?! Did you see how he was looking at you?!"

"That doesn't give you the right to treat me like that!" She stood scowling at him, anticipating a full fledged row.

He surprised her though and only said, "Aren't you a merry little thing, it's Christmas Eve, let's try to be civil" in a calm voice.

"Merry's not in my vocabulary." _Why won't he argue with me? As long as we are mad at each other I can trust myself...Oh there's no use just apologize to him and get it over with._

"Let's just go eat, I'm hungry and frozen," Hermione said, deciding a change of subject would be best.

"Well you know I'm always ready to eat. Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

Just as she finished, a rather large snowflake floated down and melted upon contact with the tip of her nose. It trickled down her face and wet her lips.

"Oh, that," she said with a gentle laugh.

_She is the most adorable thing you have ever seen, you know you want her, just do something! _a little voice in Ron's head said.

With a trembling had, he reached out and ran his thumb along her lower lip where the snowflake had just been. As the world around them whitened, he whispered to her, "Kiss me, it's beginning to snow."

You don't have to do this 

Hush your mouth, it's Christmas

I do not deserve you, Angel...  
Give me some way to show  
How much you've touched me so

Kiss me -- it's beginning to snow

-Rent

_Chapter 6 might take a bit longer because I want to make it fairly long but I don't have as much of it planned out as i did for this chapter. I'm going to try and take advantage of tomorrow to start it though because it is PSAT day and I don't have half of my classes. Reviews will make me write faster! ::stops to think of more review incentive:: Okay, there is some serious but very well hidden foreshadowing in this chapter. When/if I get 12 reviews for this chapter I'll give a clue of where to look for it. Horrible incentive, but it will have to do._


	6. the one with the kisses

Disclaimer: I only own Harry Potter on days of the week that don't end in –day

_This took forever to get up because if I didn't talk to her every second of the day, I would be convinced that Cassiopeia's Fate was kidnapped and brought to some horrible land without computers. I couldn't yell at her too much though because yesterday was her birthday (all together now- HAPPY BIRTHDAY) and Mole (as in the scientific unit, not the skin thingy) Day in case you were wondering (I'm sorry I go to nerd school) _

_By the way- I have decided that Ron has blue eyes. How could JK not tell us his eye color though? Really. Oh and if anyone has any insight on this- what do they wear under their robes? Do they actually wear Muggle clothes underneath like in the movie? This is vital information._

_Isn't there nobody out there obsessed with Rent besides me and Shinythingsamuseme? I'm a bit disappointed. There are still more references in this chapter though along with a POTC and a 10 things I Hate About You reference._

_Oh and I know it is painfully long (like this chapter-although I hope the chapter isn't painful, just long) but please read the songs in this chapter because they make me happy and fit really well. _

**Tru Lys:** I'm sorry I didn't respond to your confusion from chapter 4 I kind of forgot. Hermione is in some city in the U.S. for most of the chapter until Shane takes her back. Did I say New York without realizing it because I wasn't really thinking of any specific city?  
As you've probably realized by now, it doesn't really matter if you understand 4 anyway.  
Yes, that was a Pirates reference and there is another one in here. Yay I'm so happy you found it!

**Gwendolyn James:** No, I can't just kill Harry. Besides, it wouldn't work. Hermione would feel too guilty to go anywhere near Ron if Harry died. Don't feel too guilty though it'll all work out in the long run. (They'll see I can help them all out in the long run. Sorry, Rent, it's taking over my brain)

**Lesa**: You're right but he hasn't entirely forgiven them. He doesn't have much choice then to bottle his resentment though because who else does he have?

**QueenofDarkness13**(this name is so depressing!) **& Lilbuck: **As you will see in a second, yes he kisses her!

There you see her  
Sitting there across the way  
She don't got a lot to say  
But there's something about her  
And you don't know why  
But you're dying to try  
You wanna kiss the girl 

Yes, you want her  
Look at her, you know you do  
Possible she wants you too  
There is one way to ask her  
It don't take a word  
Not a single word  
Go on and kiss the girlNow's your moment  
Floating in a blue lagoon  
Boy you better do it soon  
No time will be better  
She don't say a word  
And she won't say a word  
Until you kiss the girl

Sha la la la la la  
Don't be scared  
You got the mood prepared  
Go on and kiss the girl  
Sha la la la la la  
Don't stop now  
Don't try to hide it how  
You want to kiss the girl  
Sha la la la la la  
Float along  
And listen to the song  
The song say kiss the girl  
Sha la la la la  
The music play  
Do what the music say  
You got to kiss the girl  
You've got to kiss the girl  
You wanna kiss the girl  
You've gotta kiss the girl  
Go on and kiss the girl  
- Kiss the Girl, The Little Mermaid

"Ron what kind of an excuse-" Hermione could feel her knees weakening and her heart melting in the same fashion that the snowflake had. She was thinking at lightening speed, Hermione speed, trying to hold herself steady and focus on the facts. It was no use though. She allowed herself to fall into his arms, gazing into his blue eyes until they shut as he leaned in.  
Their kiss was simple and to the point, unlike anything else in their relationship. Even though, neither one could deny the magic in it, magic more powerful than anything that could come out of a wand.  
  
"That's okay, I'm done with excuses anyway," Ron said, having an uncanny resemblance to the Cheshire cat.  
  
"We should go in," Hermione tried to state in a professional manner while pointing towards the Leaky Cauldron. Her attempt failed as even Ron could here the wonderment in her voice. The fact that she was pointing to a tree didn't help either. He put his hands on her shoulders and shifted her towards where they would be dining, her finger still outstretched.  
"Yea, well that's what I meant, let's go."  
She began walking in front of Ron trying to giver herself enough time to either savor or repress that memory; she wasn't sure which one yet. In the mean time, her tactic was to pretend it didn't happen and he was forced into playing along. Ron missed the feeling of her beside him as she marched towards the Leaky Cauldron, but he used his strong will power to resist pulling her back. The fact that he had a lovely view of her from where he was didn't hurt either. 

----

"What will you be having tonight?" a young girl asked, clutching onto a dull pencil and a small pad. She looked nervous whenever a tray of food came anywhere near her, judging by the piece of lettuce in her otherwise gorgeous blonde hair, most likely due to a bad experience earlier that night.

"I'll have a salad and the pasta of the day," Hermione answered. The "of the day" was really just for kicks, there was only one option, whatever pasta they felt like serving was what you got.

A look of disappointment crept across Ron's face.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing," he said fumbling with his napkin, "I kinda wanted to treat you to something good. Like steak or somethin'."

"That's really sweet but you don't have to do that. Besides, I'm a vegetarian."

Ron's eyes bugged out of their sockets until they were across the room. "W-why, why would...why? You can't eat-" He was fully prepared to list about a million things but she wisely decided to cut him off.

"If you spent the last year plucking chickens you would feel the same way."

_What_ she said however, was not as wise. A heavy tension set in as once again, the past year they had spent apart was brought up. Feeling the need to look away from each other, they remembered the impatient waitress standing beside them.

"I think I'll have the chicken," Ron told the waitress, his voice full of resentment.

Hermione picked up her fork and then put it back down. _What did I think I was going to do with this? Stab Ron? You brought that on yourself._

Her thoughts were interrupted when the waitress began tapping her foot on the floor. She was rather pretty and Hermione was afraid that Ron might notice this as well.

"Well, we ordered," she said coldly.

"Would you like anything to drink?" the waitress replied in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"A Glacierwine," Hermione told her, although she did not take her eyes off of Ron. She never drank anything stronger, although she had a feeling she might be need to start right about now.

"And for you?" she asked, turning to face Ron and sending a flashy smile his way.

"He's not allowed to drink since the time he apparated under the influence and ended up in a whale tank," Hermione retorted.

"Don't listen to her, she talks crazy after she's been-"

"Don't you dare-"

"Give me one good reason not to-"

"Um, excuse me," the waitress waved her hand between the two to draw their attention back to her. Hermione had a feeling that she was enjoying herself more than she should be.

"I'm sorry..." Ron paused to look at her name tag, "...Elizabelle, some people don't realize that they aren't the only one in the world with feelings. I'll have a beer."  
  
"What kind?" Elizabelle, who Hermione noted was now a heartbeat away from batting her damn eyelashes at Ron, asked.

"Anything but butter."

"Sure thing...I'm sorry, what's your name?"

A threatening look from Hermione told him not to answer, but Elizabelle was rather pretty and why should he care what Hermione thought, especially the way she was treating him.

The struggle inside his brain gave way to a, "Ron, Ron, I'm Ron," and an inaudible, "this is quite an operation."

"I wonder if she harasses all of her customers like that?" Hermione wondered aloud.

"No, only the special ones," Elizabelle said rather smugly.

With that, she walked off towards the kitchens, still rather afraid of the trays of doom.

"I thought she would never leave," Hermione said, snarling.

"What is your problem?"

"_MY_ problem?"

"Are you trying to say that this whole row is my fault?"

"Well yes, minus the 'trying'."

"I don't believe you! You might think that I still have the emotional range of a teacup- "

"Teaspoon," she corrected.

"Do you ever stop?! You don't have any regard for the way I feel or-"

"Don't give me that, about feelings. I had nine years of feelings Ron. It's too late now." She bit her lower lip and focused on holding back her tears.

"Why?" he asked with a drastic change in the tone of his voice, "It doesn't have to be. There is no future, there is no past, live each moment as if it's your last."

"That was...deep," Hermione said in shock.

"Phrase of the day toilet paper," Ron replied casually, as if it was a well-known scholastic source.

This caused Hermione to burst into hysterical laughter. It was something that only Ron could say. When she finally gained control she took a refreshing sip of water and then placed her hand on the table beside her glass. Ron looked over his left shoulder and tried to nonchalantly slide his hand over hers. _Maybe she'll be distracted and she won't notice until it's too late. Oh great, that sounds like I'm trying to murder her or something. No, don't lose confidence. Okay I'm sliding...I'm sliding... At least this way if she is absolutely horrified I won't be able to see her face..._

Hermione, who had been lost in thought for a change, was startled by the feeling of Ron's suddenly cold hand against hers. He traced circles with his thumb while looking anywhere but directly at her. Hermione pulled away from him and then began looking for something in her bag. What she was looking for, she really didn't know. She was not ready for more physical contact with Ron though. Not yet, not until she knew what she was doing. Pretending she needed her hand for something else seemed like the best solution; a quick way out without needing to give him any readable sign of her feelings towards him.

"So," Hermione said, looking for a way to distract Ron, "Did you finish auror training?"

"Nah, I quit, couldn't handle it."

Hermione sometimes wondered why Ron couldn't see all of the great things about him that she could.

"Of course you could, if you applied yourself I'm sure you would be able to-"

"No, that's not what I meant. I mean, it _was _a bit hard to do any work done without you nagging me, but what I meant was...I dunno it does things to you."

Feeling the need to lighten the mood, Hermione responded, "Oh, well in that case it's good that you quit. I don't think the world could handle two Mad-Eye Moodies." Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say. She had expected to launch an upbeat conversation about all the crazy things that they'd seen the wonderful old nut-job do. Instead, all Ron said was, "Actually, that would only make one."

"What do you-oh," Hermione said, as she understood. This couldn't have been further from the effect she was hoping for. "How?"

"Death-eaters, how else? But he took a handful of them with him. He was one of the smartest people I knew. You would make a great auror. You can do that thing-"

"-you mean thinking?"

"Yes, well no, I dunno. There's something about you that's just, more than okay, I dunno, but you, could do it."

"I'd rather work for the Ministry, magical creatures-don't gimme that face, I've given up on S.P.E.W. but there are others who need my help ... I don't really know what's going to happen with that anyway. I mean, I missed so much time with everything and...maybe I should just accept that position to teach Ancient Runes at Hogwarts. It could be really rewarding to help kids find the class as interesting as I did-"

"Hermione, nobody finds any class as interesting as you did."  
  
"I suppose that's true," she said chuckling at her own abnormalities.

The pause in the conversation was filled as a struggling Elizabelle placed a platter of chicken before Hermione and a gigantic bowl of spaghetti in front of Ron. Hermione had a feeling that Elizabelle did this on purpose, which contradicted her feeling that Elizabelle was just a horribly incompetent waitress. Either way, she was far past impatient with the attractive ditz. Mostly out of fear that Elizabelle would spit in her wine or something, Hermione silently switched the plates.

Ron stared at his chicken, regretting that he ordered it, full of remorse that he ever wanted to hurt Hermione. "You know I could-"

"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine," she assured him, digging into her pasta.

He smiled at her and his face unmistakably said, "you're the greatest."

This seemed to bother Elizabelle who cut in. "I seem to have misplaced my notepad-"

Hermione, forgetting her decision to be civil, made a pouting face, dripping with sarcasm over Elizabelle's loss.

"-and I just _can't_ remember what you ordered."

"We ordered a Glacierwine and a beer," Hermione informed her, "and I also ordered a salad which you seem to have-"

"That's nice dear," she said, dismissing Hermione and walking over to stand perpendicular to Ron. She leaned over far enough that she was sure to give him a view of anything that he could have wanted to see and said, "Is there anything I can get you?" She leaned even further in so her mouth was about two inches from his ear. "_Anything?_"

_Quick, think, do something, Hermione is staring right at you, do something that will make her proud of you, that will make her want you...-_he made a feeble attempt to continue the sentence, realizing that thoughts of that kind kept leading to awkward moments- ...w_ant you to...to uh...shag her senseless...no that's even worse than just 'want you'...oh it's no use. _

Meanwhile, it seemed to Elizabelle and Hermione that his strategy was to play possum. Elizabelle grew tired of waiting for a response and Hermione grew impatient, hoping that he would tell her to go, well go do something that she definitely would have chastised him for saying in any other situation. Eventually, Elizabelle left, swinging her hips in case Ron exited his comatose state, and Hermione resumed eating her meal.

The captivating sent of Eau de Chicken managed to bring Ron back to his senses and he finished his meal in an instant. This was partially due to the fact that he was sure Hermione wouldn't mind having it out of her sight and partially because it was food and he was Ron. This left nothing for him to do but stare at the dining Hermione, who suddenly felt very self-conscious as she attempted to gracefully twirl the spaghetti onto her fork.

"Stop doing that, I'm having enough issues trying to eat this without you watching me."

"Well than stop being so damn proper," Ron said, pulling the spoon she was holding out of her grasp, "It's a waste to use two kinds of silverware when you only really need one anyway."

"Point taken," she agreed, looking at her rather full bowl due to the time-consuming twirling process. "Want some?" She knew it was practically a rhetorical question and placed a fresh, chicken-free, fork in his hand as she asked it.

To her surprise though, he put the fork down.  
"Is Ronald Weasley turning down food?"

"Never," he answered, reaching into the bowl using the ten utensils he was born with.

"Ron, that's absolutely disgusting."

"Yet incredibly fun. Come on, you know you want to."

Hermione cautiously reached for the spaghetti. It felt barbaric, yet oddly liberating.

They continued eating like this, scooping up spaghetti and occasionally even slurping the slippery food up, resulting in all kinds of peculiar noises. Elizabelle returned to once again ask them what they ordered to drink, eager to see her leading man of the evening. Ron told her, "Wine and beer!" as a mouthfull of spaghetti came tumbling out of his mouth, causing Elizabelle to turn on her heels with no intention of returning and Hermione to laugh so hard she almost choked. She couldn't believe she was having the time of her life over pasta.

Then, when they were each on their last bites, the inevitable happened. One piece of spaghetti trapped between two mouths. They mockingly stared each other down as though they were participating in a duel of the Wild West. Each dared the other to be the first to bite off, neither wanting to surrender. Finally, when their lips were as close as physically possible without touching, Hermione opened her mouth preparing to bite down, and distastefully revealing her half of the piece coiled in her mouth. Sensing opportunity, Ron pulled his head back, slurping and taking the entire piece with him.

"Ew, Ron, you're repulsiveness knows no bounds does it?"

"I must have heard you wrong, because I know you didn't just say that you found the prospect of your saliva in my mouth disgusting, right?" Ron asked, rather proud of himself for coming up with something so clever.

_Oh, no innuendo there, _Hermione thought, but decided to go along with it anyway.

"Is that what you heard, because I don't remember speaking those words."

"Was that a yes?"

"No"

"Well, was that a no?"

"No"

"Am I just going to keep asking you questions?"

"Possibly."

"Do you want to dance?"

"With you?"

"No, with my father."

"I think he's rather busy right now."

"Come here," he said, getting out of his seat and walking over to her. _Why am I asking her to dance? I don't know how to dance! What has gotten into me! What have I gotten myself into? Am I trying to get myself into trouble? No, I'm trying to get myself into-_

"Ron?"

"Huh?"

"Dancing usually involves moving."

"Right."

He twirled her around next to their table in what he hoped was a graceful manner, moving to the beat of faint music that could barely be heard over the other customers.

"You owe me a knut every time you step on my feet with those huge things."

"Tell ya what, you can have two."

----

Hermione and Ron returned to their seats to pay the bill, Ron slipping his extra money into her bag, although he was sure it could not possibly amount to all he owed her. Her feet would recover eventually anyway.

"Now what?" he said as they walked away from the table, not entirely sure where they were heading to.

"I'm too tired to apparate home, I'd probably end up in a tree or something."

"I bet you could apparate with total accuracy after not sleeping for a week, being hung upside down and then spun in circles, but I won't argue. We can just stay here."

"Oh no. That's just a recipe for disaster. There is only going to be one room left with one bed and-"

"-Hermione you must watch way too many movers."

"Too many what?"

"Movers, you know those cheesy things that Muggles watch because they have nothing better to do with their time."

"Oh, you mean _movies_. And no, I prefer books. Still, real life's getting more like fiction each day and things like that _do_ tend to happen."

"You wish, come on, let's go check in."

They went to find Tom out front and get themselves a room, flinching every time their hands brushed together as they walked. It was incredible how their insecurities kept returning to them. They could be dancing, pressed against each other entirely and then five minues later, a mere brush of the hand could send each one into mental spasms.

At last, they found him, as bald and in need of dentures as ever.

"We would like to have a room for the night," Ron told him. He then added, "please," nervously.

"_One_ room?" Hermione questioned, turning to Ron.

"Yes, _one _room," he confirmed.

Tom gave them what _would_ have been a sly grin, if not for his lack of teeth.

"With _two_," beds Hermione added.

"I'm sorry, we don't have any of those," Tom told her.

"See, Ron, I _told_ you this was a bad idea, but no, you just-"

"Miss, calm down, it's the joke of the trade. Room 12 is available, one room, two beds," he said, handing her the keys.

"Oh. Well, thank you."

Hermione marched off towards the room and Ron followed after, shooting Tom a look as if to say, "what can you do?"

They found their way to the room and upon seeing the door Ron recalled, "Hey, this is the room were I stayed with that bloody git."

"You mean-"

"Yes, him. I must say, the company is infinitely better this time."

Hermione just rolled her eyes and proceeded to open the door. She was about to step inside when Ron pulled her back.

"Wait," he instructed, pointing to the top of the doorframe.

"What-oh," Hermione said, spotting everyone's favorite holiday plant.

She felt her stomach lurch as though she was using a portkey. He was going to kiss her for the second time that night. This time, however, it was different. In spite of all the mixed signals the night had contained, he was not afraid that she would pull away and was prepared to take it slow.

"You know there's a new rule," he told her.

"Oh really," Hermione replied in sarcastic disbelief.

"Yes, a minute for each leaf."

"Well then." She stepped closer.

----

They sat in an overstuffed armchair by the window of the hotel room, watching the snow outside cover the world. Ron had squeezed his lengthy legs upon the cushion Indian style and Hermione had positioned herself in the center. Her head fit perfectly under his chin and his arms were crossed over her so that her right hand was in his left and vice versa. He was stroking her hands with his thumbs and she couldn't help but notice that whether he was doing it consciously or not, he kept running over the rings on her left hand.

FLASHBACK

"Mum, I need to talk to you," Hermione told her mother who was busying about her room, making sure everything was unpacked and in the right place. She knew she had nothing to worry about as Hermione never wasted anytime in unpacking her Hogwarts trunks when she got home. Nevertheless, it made her feel motherly and she liked it. She paused from totaling pairs of balled socks to walk over to her daughter's bed and sit beside her.

"Is something wrong?"

"Not really wrong ...it's just...well it's this..."

She pulled out a letter from the folder on her nightstand. It was from Krum and rather personal, but being an only child and having two guys for best friends, her relationship with her mother had always been very open.

Dr. Granger read over the letter, looking up to exchange facial expressions with Hermione after certain lines.

"Well," she said, having come to a conclusion, "he must be quite a bit older than you if he plays Quidditch full time but he seems like a very nice boy. I'm not entirely sure I feel comfortable with you spending the summer with him but I am not completely rejecting the idea. Does he still live with his parents?"

"I'm not sure but that's not the problem-"

"-That's what you think, young lady-"

"Before you go into 'young lady' mode let me explain, mum. I wasn't asking for permission to go, I was asking if I even want to go."

"The other situation I could work with you on but honey, only you can answer whether or not you_ want_ to go. I'll do my best to help though. Is there any particular reason that you aren't sure?"

"Yes, I guess it would be fair to say that," Hermione said as a dreamy look crossed her face.

"Who is he?"

"What?"

"The other boy you fancy that's holding you back."

"How did you know-"

"A mother always knows. So, spill," Dr. Granger instructed, crossing her legs and propping her head up on her elbows. This caused Hermione to laugh as she couldn't help but notice the resemblance her mother bared to a girl of her own age.

"It's Ron," she informed her mother flatly.

"Give me a second here to cope with all that enthusiasm," Dr. Granger mocked.

"I'm sorry that a chorus of angels didn't sing out his name but I'm trying to distance myself from that kind of behavior. Nothing is ever going to happen between us. I should just go with Krum. Krum likes me and had the guts to tell me so whereas Gryffindor bravery has gotten Ron absolutely nowhere." Hermione flopped down from her sitting position, stretching out on her bed and covering her face with a pillow.

Dr. Granger gently removed the pillow from her daughter's face and put it in her own lap.  
"I'm sure it's not as bad as you think. He's probably just shy and intimidated by your astounding beauty. What's important is how you feel about him. Never settle, follow you're heart. _Always_."

END FLAHSBACK

"Always," Hermione repeated.

"What?" Ron asked, removing his head from her chin and bending his neck so that they were almost cheek to cheek.

"Nothing," Hermione replied as she removed her rings and slid them into her pocket.

There's Only Yes  
Only Tonight  
We Must Let Go  
To Know What's Right  
No Other Course  
No Other Way  
No Day But Today  
  
I Can't Control  
My Destiny  
I Trust My Soul  
  
My Only Goal  
Is Just - To Be  
  
There's Only Now  
  
There's Only Here  
Give In To Love 

- Another Day, Rent

_Next week is crazy busy for me, ANOTHER Ap Euro test, then Parent Teacher Conferences (I volunteered to stay late and work in my school's Animal Room 'cause I love those little guys) and then HALLOWEEEN!!! Me, Cassio and Shiny are going as Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Us? Obsessive? Noooooooo. Anyway I'll try to post asap, not that there are all these people on pins and needles. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the little mystery foreshadowing has to do with her ring**s**. _


	7. the one with the love

_Its been forever I know, I know. I finally had some time-winter break (which is now almost over. ::sobs::)I've realized that I don't like the end of the story. Hermione was going to get pregnant and not know whose it was blah blah but I decided she gets pregnant too much and the poor girl needs a break. I don't remember when they did or didn't have their wands so now they had them all the time. There are a lot of things I don't remember but I refuse to re-read old chapters because they are bad and might make me cry. Other stuff might not fit because I changed the story. So excuse all inconsistencies. I've also been told by my beta that my FLASHBACKs scare her so hopefully I have made them less evil-looking.  
_  
**jersey girl**:I have had no sex therefor there will be no sex, only suggested stuff. Sogive it up!(butI still love you!) If you want a scene like that, copy and paste it in from another fic because that's exactly what I would have to do if I was to write one (and what a lot of people seem to do whether it is consciously or not).

Disclaimer: Yemen. (in some language unknown to mankind, Yemen means "i do not own Harry Potter. I also just like to say Yemen every since that episode of Friends. It also means that I borrowed the last line from the Princess Bride as if you didn't know that. It is probably the most over referanced thing in fanfiction but i love that movie so it is here anyway)

Hermione allowed herself to relax in Ron's arms unable to remember a time when everything felt so perfect. Before long, her eyelids were drooping and it took all of her strength to keep them open.

"Come on," Ron whispered, half-carrying and half-dragging her over to the bed closest to the window. He had never made it into her dormitory at Hogwarts but always imagined her sleeping beside a window where cool breezes would cause her legs to curl and goose bumps to form everywhere. Not that he spent a lot of time picturing her in bed.  
She landed lightly on the bed and ran her hands over the sheets, noting how spacious the bed was compared to the twin-sized bed at home she had ever since she could remember.

"Wait," she called to Ron who was pulling down the comforter of his own bed. He looked up at her, startled but eager to hear what she was going to say. "If you wanted to just sit with me for a while, that would be okay, right?"

He nodded and lay down on the bed beside her. His belt buckle scraped against her hand causing her to realize how uncomfortable it was going to be sleeping fully clothed.

"Turn around," she ordered.

"What? Wh- "

"Because I said so, now turn around," she repeated.

Ron got up and headed towards the bathroom, the only separate area in the room.

"Well you didn't have to do that," she called after him.

"Glass reflects," he replied.

Hermione smiled, impressed by Ron's gentlemanly behavior. It almost made her wish he had stayed. Almost. She pulled off her sweater and jeans and dropped them on the floor beside her bed. It pained her to just leave them there but she was too embarrassed to get out from underneath the covers, even if Ron wasn't technically in the room. Hermione self-consciously readjusted her tank-top before informing Ron that he could re-enter the room. He emerged in orange boxers and a white undershirt, causing a memory from a year ago to surface. She pulled the covers up higher as she thought about the striking similarity, but this time it was different. She felt different. She was almost willing him to come closer, to lay close enough so that she could breathe in his scent. To her surprise, he did. She expected him to stop in front of his own bed, which was closer to the bathroom but he continued walking and plopped himself down on her bed but remained above the blanket, not entirely sure of what she was wearing underneath.

Hermione suddenly lost all desire to sleep. She shimmied closer to him and ran her hand down his arm among other places. Taking this as a sign that he could do what he had wanted to all night, he turned his head and kissed her, running his hand through her less-bushy-than usual hair. She looked him over, wanting to take in every detail of this moment when her eyes fell on his orange boxers.

"Wait," she said, sitting up but leaving her hands where they were, "I can't do this, it's not right and it's not fair to him."

"To who?" Ron asked, equally perplexed and concerned.

"To Harry!"

Ron breathed a sign of relief. "Didn't we go over this? I know you like to 'do the right thing' but it was not a real marriage so you, we, are doing nothing wrong."

"You don't get it. It might not have started out-but then-and I was confused I'll admit but-you see-"

"Hermoine, I am in a very vulnerable position right now," he said, blushing and noting the location of her hand, "and if I tell you something, can you promise me you won't do anything to damage me for life?"

"Why? What would make me want to-"

"See here's the thing," Ron began with an uneasyness in his voice and manner, "Leasle and Shane, they like to joke, you know that. One day before well, everything happened, they went into Fred and George's shop and they all hit it off, became mates etc. That was one of the reasons that they didn't really mind being assigned to watch over Harry. Then you know, stuff did happen and Fred and George mighta tipped them off that you and Harry weren't really a…an 'item'," he cringed having borrowed one of his mother's terms again before continuing. "They have a knack for breaking rules which I'm sure you noticed and scolded them for, so they might have meddled a little."

"How…much…is…a…little?" Hermione asked, taking deep breathes in between words to try and stay calm.

"They might have given you and Harry love potions to make the situation easier on everyone."

"WHAT?!" Hermione shrieked loud enough to wake the whole floor. "HOW…" she paused and closed her eyes, trying to lower her voice, "…how long have you known about this, Ron?"  
"Not long, honestly. Really, really not long. I thought I saw Fred and George before when we were walking, right before I um…kissed you actually, I guess that's where I got the courage from…you see I guess it was them because I found this note in my pocket (he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper with scrolling words) that they must have-(he gestured with an invisible wand)-in there and it told me all that stuff."

"Get out," was all that Hermione could manage, fighting back tears.

"If it helps it certainly made me feel a lot better," Ron offered.

"Get out," she repeated.

"Okay I guess that was a stupid thing to say but-"

"Get out, get out, get out. I don't care where you go but I'm going to close my eyes and I want you out of my sight by the time I count to three. I don't want to have to look at you I don't want to have to look at anyone I want to be by myself and try to figure out how much of a year of my life was a complete lie."

"Where am I supposed to- "

"One."

"I don't have anywhere-"

Two.

"What do you want me to-"

"Two and a half."

Ron quickly grabbed is clothes and slid into the bathroom afraid of what Hermione would do if she opened her eyes and saw him there.

"Three."

Hermione looked around and seeing no traces of Ron, allowed the tears to flow from her eyes. She held a pillow close to her while she thought of any signs that she could have missed. She felt stupid and betrayed and unsure if it was okay that she also felt relieved. Hermione racked her brain for any clues, wondering if Harry knew, if Leasle or Shane had ever tried to tell her. She could only come up with one instance.

_--flashback--_

Leasle and Shane returned from their nightly flight as usual, carrying whatever food they could and setting it down before returning to their human forms. This time though, instead of following Shane into their section of the room, Leasle tiptoed over to Hermione, gently shaking her awake carefully enough not to disturb Harry.

"Come over here," she whispered, gesturing with her head towards the corner of the room furthest from where the sleeping Harry rubbed his eyebrow and rolled over.  
Leasle sat down in the corner and Hermione followed, unsure of what it was all about.

"Listen I picked something up for you while Shane was a bit…distracted."

Hermione had no idea what she meant by this but nodded her head urging Leasle to continue anyway.  
"I'd been eyeing it for a while 'cause I think it might tell you a thing or two that you might want to know-but that's all I'm gonna say. 'night."

With that, she gave Hermione a quick hug before going to bed, leaving Hermione to ponder what on Earth that had all meant. She opened the small box that was in her hand to reveal a silver ring and discovered a tiny inscription on the inside upon examining it. "Magnificar," she muttered, pretty sure such a simple spell wouldn't disturb anything. The text materialized in the air in front of her and grew until she could make out a poem that read:

There is no love like love that is true

But you'd be surprised how love does lie

When you touch your real love I'll turn blue

But what'll you do if silver I stay?  
Hermione shrugged knowing magic of this kind was not known for its accuracy but slid the ring on anyway, confident that it would soon be a dazzling blue. She lifted herself off the floor and returned to her husband, wrapping her arm around him. It was blue. She knew it was. _Maybe I'll just check _she thought as she slowly lifted her head. Silver.

_Stupid piece of junk. I can't believe Leasle believes in this stuff._

Hermione found instructions for deactivation in the box (Didn't like what you saw, eh? Well, if this will make you feel better, tap with wand and say Aurumnus to turn permanently gold) and decided it would be a good idea in order to prevent any side effects the imprecise magic might have. She sank down onto the bed and drifted to sleep, not giving the ring a second thought.

_--end flashback--_

Hermione had finally stopped crying, not sure if it was because she felt better or had run out of tears.

"Ron…can you come out…" she said cautiously.

He had not been able to fall asleep in the bathtub where he had created a makeshift bed so he opened the door with caution to match Hermione's.

"Come here," she said softly.

He silently obeyed and stood in front of her, unsure if she was angry at him, angry in general or by some miracle no longer angry at all.

Hermione wrapped the comforter around herself and picked up her jeans, removing the ring and her wand. "Riativarus," she said in a trembling voice, tapping the ring with her wand. She slid the ring onto her finger and then reached out, stroking Ron's cheek.

Blue.

"Goodnight," she said, lying down and grinning into her pillow without further explanation.

He looked at her, perplexed but happy that she was grinning at him instead of murdering him. "Goodnight," he told her as he climbed into his own bed.

The room was silent for about an hour after but neither was sleeping. Hermione tried to decipher her feelings. She knew she should be angry that she spent the past year of her life under a spell; that she did things she never would have done otherwise; that it was all a lie. She didn't feel angry though, not anymore. Somehow, knowing that the past twenty-four hours was real counteracted the delusions of the past. It seemed ridiculous that one day was enough to counteract a period about 365 times as long. _Maybe for once it doesn't have to make sense. You're used to relying on intellect, but now is not the time. You knew you loved him before this lousy ring and you always will. It doesn't have to be logical, I'm in love and this time it's real._

Ron could feel and hear his heart pounding. Being that close to her made him slightly nervous but it was the best kind of nervous he ever felt. It wasn't the kind of nervous he was when he sat his NEWTS, he hoped he would never feel like that again as he recalled losing his lunch over the thought of being the family failure. As oblivious as he usually was, he knew he never wanted to stop feeling that way around Hermione and didn't want to risk losing her again without her knowing that.

"Hey Hermione," Ron whispered, although it was the loudest whisper she had ever heard.

"Hmmm?"

"Are you sleeping?"

"Yes."

There was a pause.

"Hey Hermione"

"Yes Ronald…"

He rolled over and half-buried his face in his pillow. "Ihy Lumpsh Youph"

"What was that?" she asked him, understanding but not wanting to let him off that easy. Her question was only met with silence. She snuggled back down into the mattress and concentrated hard on what just happened before allowing herself to fall asleep, not wanting to forget a single detail.

---------------------------------------------

Ron woke the next morning to the sound of Hermione brushing her teeth in the bathroom. He craned his neck and saw that the door was open and therefor reasoned that it was probably safe to join her. Her hair pulled up in an immense bun and she was dabbing the foamy toothpaste that had accumulated in the corners of her lips with the knuckle of her thumb. She was beautiful.  
Hermione glanced into the mirror and spotting an extra reflection, turned around to face a mass of red hair.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop stealing my style," she said, managing to keep a perfectly straight face while nodding towards his hair.

Ron smiled and silently cursed himself for not thinking of something equally clever to say. Seeming to sense this, Hermione continued on. "You know," she began with a tone of voice that screamed I-know-something-you-don't-know, "I've been wanting to tell you something since last night." She inwardly rejoiced at the way Ron's face lit up when he heard this. She then stuck the toothbrush back in her mouth with over-exaggerated movements. "Ioiu lahrvsh yu tchoo." She waited a moment for him to say or do something but when he did not move, Hermione rinsed her mouth as quickly as possible and stormed out of the bathroom without a word.

_Great, just great_ Ron thought as he reached over to the shower knobs and began to adjust the water. He stripped and stepped in as the room filled with steam, whishing whole-heartedly that the water would somehow carry the last two minutes of his life out of history and down the drain. He lost track of time, which was very unfortunate for the young woman on the other side of the door.

"Ron!" Hermione screamed, banging on the door. "Urg! Forget before, so we let one moment go to waste, there will be plenty more-just open up! I would bore you with all of my Muggle knowledge on the workings of the excretory system if I wasn't so distracted by the fact that I NEED THE BATHROOM!"  
Still silence on the other end of the door.  
"I know you can here me this place is practically built out of paper. I'm coming in on three." She hesitated nervously. What if he really couldn't hear her? Maybe he just likes long showers. _No_ she thought _no man could possibly shower for that long. He is just being immature and it has to stop. _"One…two…THREE!"  
She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw a completely dressed Ron on the other side of the door. Well, maybe a small part of her was feeling a twinge of disappointment but that was a feeling she would deal with later.  
"I'm sorry I…well I was thinking about…here you go." He hastily gestured towards la toilette and rushed out of the bathroom, leaving her to do whatever she had to do.  
Ron sat on the edge of his bed resting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands. He had to think of something clever to make it up to her. Or maybe not.

_--flashback--_

"Why can't the you and Ginny/me and Hermione plan EVER work? What's the point of a plan B if it's never any good?" Ron complained as he leaned over the banister and tried not to look _too_ startled as the staircase began to move.  
"If it was any good, it would have been plan A. And it wasn't a complete failure this time, I am going with Ginny." He ran a hand through his messy black hair as his friend sighed. "Not helping?"  
Ron shook his head. "I still can't believe she's going with Neville. I mean this in a completely non-homosexual way-"  
Harry nodded in understanding  
"-I'll admit he's grown into his ears and is better looking and all that junk but he's still _Neville_."

Hermione cleared her throat, alerting her two friends to her presence. "That's right, he is Neville, our friend Neville who asked me to the graduation ball and as a good friend, I accepted. Imagine how he must be feeling right now. First his relationship with Luna falls apart and then he finds out she only started going out with him because _you_ turned her down."  
"You can't possibly be blaming this on me!" Ron exclaimed defensively.  
"Well, no but I'm just asking you to try and understand how he's feeling and why it's important that I go with him. Not that I'm saying it's a chore to go with him, I imagine it will be fun as well."

She sighed looking at Ron's blank face. "Oh I give up trying to make you understand. Point is you'll just have to find someone else to go with you."

"Well there is that blonde in Ravenclaw…" he began. He noticed a change in Hermione's eyes that he couldn't put his finger on before she looked down at the stair below, but continued anyway. "…but I wouldn't know what to say."

"You don't have to set out to impress her, just be yourself and if she's worth it, she'll see how great you are. Cliché, yes, but true." With that, Hermione traveled back down the stairs without bringing her eyes back around to meet his.

_--end flashback--_

Ron ran his hands through his hair while trying to prepare himself to follow the advice she had given him so long ago. He walked over to the bathroom; she had the shower radio on (this was one of the few rooms where it still emitted decipherable sounds instead of screechy noises) loud and the water was on high pressure. He shook his head, she would never hear him. She wouldn't hear him…he reached for the doorknob as he discovered the positive side to that fact. He took a deep breath as he entered the room. Ron gasped at her silhouette in the shower curtain before putting the toilet seat cover down and having a seat.  
"HERMIONE!"  
No answer.  
"HERMIONE I JUST WANTED TO SAY…YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU"  
He turned bright red as he realized she had turned the water off right before his last three words. _Well, she definitely heard me_ he thought.  
Hermione poked her head outside the shower curtain. "Next to you."

"What?"  
She only nodded her head to reaffirm what she had just told him. Ron got up and stood in front of the sink next to him. Above it, written in the fog on the mirror were the words-  
"I love you too, Ron."  
"How did you know I was going to…"

"Well it was about time." She smiled and he walked over to her, handing her a towel. Too flustered to make the stupid thing stay up, she threw it to the floor, tugging the shower curtain down and wrapping it around her instead. With that minor setback overcome, she hopped onto the sink, positioning herself right below the words she had been wanting to say to him for so long. He followed her, never looking away from her eyes. Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind.

_Woohoo! I actually had less of 7 left to write than I thought. I'll try to start 8 over the vacation, I have leftover material from 7 that i decided not to use that I might put in 8. Some of it is ooc but its really cute, should i just stick it by itself as a non-chapter if I don't use it? Oh and my friend reminded me i said way back when that this will be 10 chapters. I don't think i'm going to finish in 3 chapters but i don't think i can stretch it to 15 either which bothers me because any number in between is just annoying. Oh and everyone attack Cassiopeia with thousands of e-mails about why Hermione likes Ron, not Harry (I'm such an evil friend). While you're at it, yell at her for still being on page 4 of her amazing l/j fic for 5 months._


End file.
